The Most Significant And Frequently Studied English Literature Essay

First, the clip of twelvemonth in which the narrative, “ A Worn Way ” occurs during the Christmas season. Harmonizing to Greg Barnhisel, this adds to the subject of metempsychosis. Christmas is a clip we unfastened gifts. This gives a representation of the birth of Christ. This is the scene of the narrative in which everything is symbolized of a greater importance and significance. An attendant speaking to Jackson speaks out, “ A charity instance, I suppose ” ( Welty 34 ) . This presents herself as a adult female with strong religion and represented as an illustration of the message of religion. Furthermore, Christ is born in the decease of the twelvemonth and in a near-dead nature-society ( Barnhisel ) . Christ dies in order that the life of others may be saved. This is the powerful Christian account of the cardinal sarcasm of human being, that life means decease and decease is life.

In add-on to the scene, the name of Phoenix Jackson has symbolism. Barnhisel states that “ Phoenix Jackson ‘s name is a mention to a fabulous bird called ‘phoenix ‘ . ” This bird ‘s home ground is out in the desert and lives for 500-600 old ages. The bird sets itself on fire, to lift once more from its ain ashes ( Barnhisel ) . This symbolizes immortality. Some faiths really believe in lifting once more, merely like Christ. Harmonizing to Rachel Lister, Welty describes Phoenix as a lone small bird. Lister states that “ some [ birds ] characteristic conspicuously in the narrative ; some symbolize the breakability of Phoenix and her grandson and others are more baleful and seem to bode decease. ” In the narrative, Phoenix sees a bob-white “ stuffed ” in the huntsman ‘s bag, “ its beak hooked bitterly to demo it was dead ( Welty 32 ) . This image oscillates forwards and backwards.

Third, Jackson ‘s age plays an of import function in the narrative. If the narrative is written in present clip when Eudora Welty wrote it, so the clip is 1940 ( Barnhisel ) . Jackson tells that her senses are gone and she thinks that she is the oldest adult female alive ( Barnhisel ) . Phoenix negotiations to the straw man stating it “ My senses is gone, I excessively old. I the oldest people I of all time know ” ( Welty 31 ) . It is a idea to believe that there were non many misss in the country in which Jackson lives. On the contrary, “ when she tells the nurse how old she is and is stating the truth, so she was excessively old to go to school when Lee surrendered in 1865 ( Barnhisel ) . This was a large issue back in those yearss and certain demands that must be met in order to inscribe in school. The huntsman approaches Phoenix and speaks, “ There is no stating Mister ” ( Welty 32 ) . She must hold been near to one hundred old ages old. Jackson ‘s age keeps her from making what she wants to carry through and set limitations on the picks she makes.

The word picture of Jackson is typifying the black population as a whole. In a sense, this can do them what we would do them as being naivete and helpless. Harmonizing to Greg Barnhisel, some people today still portray them as being viewed this manner ( Barnhisel ) . Eudora Welty comes from Mississippi as her ain ego lives through the civil rights battles and the Southern Renaissance. Phoenix Jackson “ had a form all its ain of countless ramification furrows. . . and the two boss of her cheeks were illuminated by a xanthous combustion under the dark ” ( Welty 30 ) . In add-on of Jackson stand foring the inkinesss, traveling back to her aged age in one manner can be good to demo that inkinesss are immutable and ageless. This can be sponsoring to discourse about this to the full race of the people. Bing black during these times can be in some manner overpowering and being mistreated. One group of critics concludes that Jackson ‘s imitation of the black race symbolizes the race as being notably sympathetic ( Barnhisel ) . This represents the inkinesss of holding their true complexness as human existences distorted. Peoples still have a inclination today seting an “ individuality ” on inkinesss and judging them otherwise.

Fifth, in “ A Worn Path ” , the narrative shows symbolism in another manner of her word picture. This represents stereotypes throughout this clip. In Short Narratives for Students, Barnhisel believes that these stereotypes of inkinesss are represented of their cunning and dishonesty. There are many stereotyped people today in society. There is a portion in the narrative, “ When the huntsman drops his Ni and Jackson choices it up ” ( Welty 33 ) . This represents that in a manner, inkinesss were viewed as “ lesser ” people. The symbolism of Jackson ‘s race can gull people and be viewed as judgmental ( Barnhisel ) . All throughout the narrative, her race has a struggle with mundane life in her society. Greg Barnhisel provinces, “ Is this an indicant of courtesy warranted by virtuousness of her age and her ‘fealty ‘ to the whole race or it is a amusing representation of black weakness ” ?

The ironss that describe a feeling that Jackson has symbolize societal mobility in the South. Harmonizing to Rachel Lister, “ the ironss which Phoenix seems to experience about her pess, the irritants, and the barbed wire typify the go oning subjugation which restricts the societal mobility of the Afro-american people ” . Blacks at this clip are controlled and non allowed to travel freely. Although the white adult male does non physically harm Phoenix, his words betray the biass in the South. The white adult male menaces Phoenix and tells her, “ I know you old coloured people! Would n’t lose traveling to town to see Santa Claus ” ( Welty 32 ) . In other words, being black in the South would intend holding other people doing determinations for you. Eudora Welty grants inkinesss of human diverseness, whether than excessively much as simple symbols of endurance ( Lister ) . Bing black during this clip was a really hard clip and was a bad clip in society.

Two objects in the narrative that readers most frequently skip over but have really great significance are the sheepskin and the bar that is described. Lister describes the sheepskin as non merely typifying the terminal of a journey, but besides the educational experiences and chances that she has been denied for ( Lister ) . The schools were split between colored and white people, in which the white people had more advantages and were free. In add-on to the sheepskin, the bar has great importance besides. Phoenix envisions a boy offering her a piece of marble bar. Harmonizing to Dennis Sykes, this is “ the vision of a piece of black and white bar appears to be a mention to the thought of integrating in the southaˆ¦ [ Showing that ] Phoenix has an about hallucinatory vision ” . Phoenix is stating the small male child, “ that [ it ] would be acceptable ” ( Welty 31 ) . In a manner, that can be thought of as a struggle of racism.

Phoenix Jackson ‘s journey to Natchez symbolizes the faith of Christianity. Harmonizing to Marilyn Keys, the troubles that Jackson has to travel through and enticements along the manner to Natchez can stand for either the enticements of Christ in the desert or the Stations of the Cross. This all goes back to the beliefs of Christianity. Phoenix was looking for her Ni that she lost. It was given from the nurse for Christmas. She says, “ God [ is ] watching me the whole clip ” ( Welty 33 ) . In add-on to her journey, the medical specialty that Jackson gives to her ill grandson can be seen as Christ figure ( Barnhisel ) . The nurse calls it an act of “ charity ” ( Welty 34 ) . This can be pictured as God ‘s grace. Forfeits and enduring are a portion of God ‘s work he gives us to get the better of obstructions and trust on God ‘s aid in clip of demand.

In decision, symbolism in “ A Worn Path ” has great significance and different subjects that relate in society today. It shows us the manner different types of people are treated and gives a real-life image of what life can be being different. The worn way described in the narrative shows the tests and jobs that can go on in mundane things. The word picture of Phoenix Jackson is described as being a typical coloured individual populating her life. Throughout the narrative, Jackson suffers through many instances, and at times, feels the demand to merely give up. This narrative is all about looking beyond those frights and battles to maintain traveling frontward in life.